1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a wind power plant having a rotor mounted rotatably about an axis directed approximately in the wind direction, and having at least two mutually concentric annular elements for connection to oppositely rotatable system components of the wind power plant, one of which comprises a means for connection to the rotor of the wind power plant or to a drive shaft of a gearbox coupled thereto or of a coupling coupled thereto.
Wind power plants are usually subject to very irregular wind conditions and thus experience sharp load variations, resulting in very high numbers of load cycles in the rotor and the downstream components, especially the gearbox and the generator. Such constantly changing loads impair the fatigue strength of the components involved.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Attempts have therefore been made to integrate, between the hub of the wind wheel and the downstream elements, an elastic coupling that allows a certain relative angle of twist between the two coupled-together components. Once this maximum relative angle of twist is reached, however, any further variations in rotation speed are passed along unchanged to the downstream element, thus severely limiting the damping that can be achieved in this way. Furthermore, substantial accelerations and decelerations occur in the gearbox in this case. This subjects the gearbox to alternating loading, particularly in the form of an alternating load at the roots and in the flank regions of the gear teeth involved. Such alternating loads have a much more detrimental effect on the life of the teeth and other components than do oscillatory loads.